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Module 3: Targeting Audiences

It is important to think about the needs of the target population when developing your obesity prevention program because this affects the setting, strategies, and required resources for the intervention.

Identifying an appropriate intervention by target population instead of by setting is useful because similar intervention models can be used in different settings. In addition, individuals are influenced by their social and physical surroundings (the environment) which can affect whether or not they become overweight or obese. Therefore, obesity prevention programs should also address individual, environmental, systems, and policy levels.

Focusing on prevention approaches can decrease the number of new cases of obesity, lower the number of established cases in the population, and decrease disability among those who are already obese.

In this module: